evaluating foreign degrees – The Degree Peoplehttp://www.thedegreepeople.com
Credential Evaluation ServiceFri, 18 Jan 2019 19:57:34 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.9How to Make it Easy for the USCIS to Approve Your H1-B Visahttp://www.thedegreepeople.com/how-to-make-it-easy-for-the-uscis-to-approve-your-h1-b-visa/
Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:52:52 +0000http://www.thedegreepeople.com/?p=3204To work a highly-skilled, prearranged job in the United States, you need to be approved for an H1-B visa. To qualify for this visa, your job must require that you have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Competition for H1-B visas is fierce because only 85,000 are issued every year by the USCIS and this past year the number of applicants exceeded the limit in less than one week of when the USCIS began accepting petitions.

To get your H1-B visa approved, you must prove that your job qualifies as a specialty occupation and that you meet the minimum academic qualifications necessary to fill this position.

The clearer these two aspects are laid out in your petition the more likely it is your petition will be approved. The USCIS evaluates hundreds of thousands of these petitions every year. Make their job easier and the outcome will be better for you.

The first thing you need to do is to prove that your job is a specialty occupation. You can do this by submitting a copy of the advertisement for the job opening, which should include minimum qualifications necessary. If you cannot provide this, you need to submit documentation proving similar companies require applicants to have a bachelor’s degree or higher for similar jobs.

Once you have established that your job is a specialty occupation, you must then prove that you are qualified for it. To do this, you must show that your degree actually is, or is equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree or higher. To do this you must have your degree evaluated by a credential evaluation agency that is authorized to make the necessary conversions to accurately determine the value of your degree in terms of US academic standards.

The easier you make it for the USCIS to understand the rigor of your job and the value of your education, the easier it will be for them to approve your visa.

For a free consultation on your credential evaluation for your H1-B application, visit us at cciFree.com or call us at 1.800.771.4723 any time.

]]>Business Visas: Legal Aliens Help Support the U.S. Economyhttp://www.thedegreepeople.com/business-visas-legal-aliens-help-support-the-u-s-economy/
Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:37:06 +0000http://tdp.iconicwebdesign.com/?p=1018Most immigration reform addresses those in the US illegally. However, those who are hear legally often have a more difficult time obtaining permission to work than some illegal immigrants.

We often hear our immigration laws need reforming, but most of the attention is on reforming laws affecting immigrants who are in the United States illegally. We do, of course, realize that is perhaps not the politically correct way of saying it, but if we are going to solve our immigration problems, we have to face reality. Those individuals who are here legally also have immigration problems, and these are all too often ignored.
While cries for legalization are even heard in street protests as well as in Congress, the fact is that it is easier for some illegal immigrants to obtain permission to work and to obtain a green card than it is for legal immigrants.

How is this so? Well, let’s take a person who comes to the United States unlawfully and without inspection by boat to Miami or St. Thomas, and then files an application for political asylum. In 150 days, an employment authorization document can be issued permitting the individual to work in the United States, and, permanent residence can eventually be granted if the refugee is granted asylum. After five years they may file for and become a U.S. citizen.

Contrast this scenario with a business investor from another country who wants to live and work in the United States, and is able to invest money in our economy and pay his or her own way while in this country. For example, some foreign nationals apply for an EB-5 visa by investing a minimum of $500,000 to $1,000,000 or more in a qualified business. Others, who own an ongoing business in their home country may invest money in establishing a viable branch office in the U.S. and obtain an L-1visa—also a potential track to obtaining lawful permanent residence status, that is, a green card.

If the foreign national does not have sufficient funds to, in effect, buy a visa (and potentially a green card), or does not have an ongoing business in the home country, another very popular business investor visa is the E-2 visa. With this visa, they are able to purchase or start a new business in the United States and live and work here for an indefinite period of time. However, this type of visa will not allow the investor to ever apply for permanent residence. As wonderful as the business investor visas can be, they are not without problems.

While at a restaurant recently, talking to the owner, he mentioned an unpleasant experience he had with the U.S. consular office in his home country of Germany. He and his wife were renewing their E-2 visa, which is required periodically in order assure that the business is still viable and, at least potentially helpful to the U.S. economy. To do so, he had to temporarily close the restaurant in order to return to his home country because the business requires his management and presence. He took his renewal application (four to five inches thick) to one of the examiners’ windows where he spoke with two US immigration officers to “resell” them on the continued viability of his business.

This was not an easy process. The restaurant owner and his wife have been running this business in the U.S. for 10 years. They and their children have effectively made the U.S. their home. All of their money is tied up in the business. Yet, all could be lost in a matter of minutes in this interview.

One officer listened while another reviewed the documentation. According to the owner, the attitude of the officers was somewhat confrontational with questions like, “How do you make so much money with so few employees.” The owners felt a sense of hostility and suspicion towards them although they have worked hard to establish and expand their business and have certainly contributed to the U.S. economy.
What the restaurant owner may not have realized was that he was fortunate that the officers took the time to be prepared during the interview. We have, on occasion, had clients of Goldman & Loughlin go to the interview only to discover the officer had not taken the time to review the application and supporting documentation. While such incidents are admittedly rare, it should never happen to anyone—particularly hard working investors who have taken the time and effort to come to the U.S. lawfully and contribute to the community and economy of this nation.
Getting back now to our point about the contrast between illegal and legal aliens. A process that allows refugees to come to America and receive permanent status, and potentially, US citizenship is just and noble. Many of these people are destitute, have no education and no ability to support themselves. Yet, through persistence and help from family, friends and the US government, a new life with all of the benefits of living in America can be started.

The call is being made, however, to provide a path to permanent residence not only to refugees, but to anyone who has been able to make it across our borders and avoid detection. (The PC way of saying this is that there should be an undocumented workers program.)

If Congress ever develops the political will to move ahead with immigration reform, attention must be paid to those who have come here legally as well as illegally. We, as a country, need to identify people who have the education and skills to help our economy grow and offer visas to encourage this class of foreign national to enter the U.S. as well. After all, due to the downturn in our economy, the ever-expanding opportunities for jobs in other countries such as India and China, over regulation of businesses and burdensome tax laws in the United States, educated and/or highly skilled engineers, mathematicians, scientists and health care professionals have a variety of other attractive options.

Congress should continue to allow America to be a safe haven for refugees from around the world, and reform immigration laws in a realistic and humane way. However, it is imperative for our country to find solutions for immigrants who come here legally. We need to find ways to attract investors and other foreign nationals rather than discourage them from applying for visas.

The good news is that our new-found friend and superb restaurateur was granted his visa and we will be able to continue to enjoy his great cuisine!

About the Authors
Attorneys, Thomas W. Goldman and Peter J. Loughlin are the founders and senior partners of Goldman & Loughlin, PLLC, a nationwide U.S. immigration law firm with offices in Orlando FL, Naples FL and Bradenton FL (www.USImmigrationTeam.com). They also host the popular blog and Internet radio talk show at: www.ImmigrationNewsRadio.com.

]]>Which Companies Are Surviving the Recession?http://www.thedegreepeople.com/which-companies-are-surviving-the-recession/
Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:18:32 +0000http://tdp.iconicwebdesign.com/?p=986Sometimes it is Not What business You Have, but How You Run the Business. Foreign Credential Evaluations: No Recession For One Firm.

(EMAILWIRE.COM, March 13, 2009 )
April 1st marks the beginning of the filings of the work visas (H1B). It’s usually a busy time for immigration attorneys and many companies who sponsor persons with foreign degrees to work in the U.S. on temporary visas. The global recession, however, has given people cause to wonder just how this will affect employment based visas. The answer is – yes, there is a slow down here to.

Many companies are cautious about determining how many H1B to sponsor this year. Last year there were 3 filings for each available visa. The cap filled virtually the day filings began, and many firms did not get all the employees they needed. This year things look different.

H1B jobs are only available when no US residents can fill the job. Most of the jobs are high tech IT jobs where there is still a big demand and limited supply of talented workers. But there is a misunderstanding in the country that these foreign workers are taking jobs from Americans. While this is not the case, firms are feeling uncomfortable hiring non-US workers.

Despite this slowdown, the professionals at Career Consulting International (CCI) have stopped wondering how their business will go this “season”. The busy season which normally starts in mid-March, was off to an early start. Apparently, while the total pool of applicants maybe smaller this year, CCI is getting a bigger share of that pool. CCI’s Executive Director Sheila Danzig released a statement to her employees the revenues for the last week in February was up 58 percent compared to the same time period in February 2008.
CCI, found on the Internet at “http://www.TheDegreePeople.com“, specializes in evaluating foreign degrees and diplomas for their U.S.equivalencies. People who attend high school or college in other countries are usually required by universities and employers to have their degree evaluated for the U.S. educational equivalency by a professional evaluation agency.

Rush fees often account for a substantial part of the visa season’s profit, but the opening filing date is weeks away, so most clients appear to be getting their orders in well in advance, to save on rush fees in late March and early April. OneHR executive explained, “Why should I wait longer so I can pay more money later?”

When asked about the number of larger clients (corporations, IT firms, and attorneys with large numbers of H1B visas to process), Director of Operations Marian Aronson-Finnk offered a glimpse at the busyness unfolding in her work week: “I am not surprised by the number of bulk applications we have processed as of this date,” she shared. “We have built many relationships over the years. Our clients return to us for our personal service, fast turn-around time and lowest-price-guarantee policy.”

CCI believes that is the reason the recession has not caught up with them yet. Customer service liaison Jim Howell was asked whether he’s overwhelmed yet by the number of calls coming in. Howell just smiled and responded, “Our team’s job is to help people and give them the best support and advice possible, one at a time, and that’s what we are continuing to do. Our trained, experienced support staff is ready to help.”
For more information about Career Consulting International’s bulk application prices, visit “http://www.thedegreepeople.com/cciapp_bulk.html” or call the toll-free number at 1.800.771.4723. Someone from the agency is always near the phone, eager and willing to help.